Uncovering the Mystery of Gravitational Entropy in Earth Science

In summary, Earth science presents a paradox with the 100-kyr orbital eccentricity of the Earth about the Sun, which is the most dominant factor in the advance and retreat of ice ages according to the Greenland and Antarctic ice cores. However, the widely accepted increase in solar radiation is deemed too small to be the direct driving force, and the gravitational difference is also considered too small to significantly affect tides. There is a possibility that this tidal effect could be amplified by considering the Earth to have a gravitational entropy gradient, but this is a new hypothesis that has not been thoroughly explored. There are many other factors and cycles at play in paleoclimatology, making it a complex and fascinating subject with many unknowns and areas of confusion.
  • #1
Mammo
208
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In Earth science there is a paradox of the 100-kyr orbital eccentricity of the Earth about the Sun. The Greenland and Antarctic ice cores show that the 100-kyr cycle is the most dominent in driving the advance and retreat of the ice ages. But the solar radiation increase is universally excepted to be too small to be the direct driving force. Similarly the gravitational difference of around a 6% change in eccentricity is considered too small to influence the tides in a significant way. There is a possibility though that this tidal effect could be amplified if the Earth is considered to have a gravitational entropy gradient. By this I mean that the gravitational force experienced by matter increases towards the center of the Earth i.e. it is non-linear. This is not to be confused with a simple increase in density. It is the entropy of matter itself which I propose is reducing towards the center of the Earth. Has anyone ever thought of this before? I can't find any reports on this hypothesis. Can anyone help?
 
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  • #2
Mammo said:
In Earth science there is a paradox of the 100-kyr orbital eccentricity of the Earth about the Sun. The Greenland and Antarctic ice cores show that the 100-kyr cycle is the most dominent in driving the advance and retreat of the ice ages. But the solar radiation increase is universally excepted to be too small to be the direct driving force. Similarly the gravitational difference of around a 6% change in eccentricity is considered too small to influence the tides in a significant way. There is a possibility though that this tidal effect could be amplified if the Earth is considered to have a gravitational entropy gradient.
According to who?

By this I mean that the gravitational force experienced by matter increases towards the center of the Earth i.e. it is non-linear.
As it turns out, the gravitational force on a given object decreases towards the center of the Earth (it is exactly zero at the center).

This is not to be confused with a simple increase in density.
If I'm not mistaken, the gravitational field decreases with diminishing radial distance from the center of a sphere no matter what the radial density distribution of the sphere. In any case, it decreases linearly for a planet of uniform density.

It is the entropy of matter itself which I propose is reducing towards the center of the Earth. Has anyone ever thought of this before? I can't find any reports on this hypothesis. Can anyone help?
The entropy of matter is virtually unaffected by terrestrial gravitational fields. Besides, personal theories and speculation therefrom are not permitted here.
 
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  • #3
Mammo...welcome...

Lot's more complicated paradox's exist than you mention!

when I first heard about man made global warming I started studying to see what was known (very little) and what was unknown ( a lot). There are many, many more "cycles" than you mention, many more factors than have been properly modeled. Their significance is not universally understood.

The fact is that no one knows how to predict next weeks weather let alone the beginnings of the next ice age. Nor the movements of the ice sheets, For example, As I understand things, todays placement of the continents as a result of eons of drift has a potentially significant effect on warming/cooling since different locations get varying amounts of solar heat...and land and water absorb/reflect heat very differently.

Also I found it interesting that some history of the Earth shows life emerging, then being almost extinguished via vast ice sheets which encircled the Earth to a depth of perhaps miles...yet something caused those to retreat and modern lifeforms emerged...with merely the artic and antarctic ice sheets remaining...

Earth's tilt on it's axis is another factor that comes to mind...and sunspot activity...
 
  • #4
Gokul43201 said:
As it turns out, the gravitational force on a given object decreases towards the center of the Earth (it is exactly zero at the center).
Just curious. How is this proven/known?
 
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  • #5
nuby said:
Just curious. How is this proven/known?

Integral calculus.
 
  • #6
nuby said:
Just curious. How is this proven/known?

Gauss' law is quite nicely applicable here; although normally used for electric fields, i think it holds perfectly well for gravity since both fields are inversely squared proportional to distance. Just swap the right parameters and constants: charge with mass, etc.
 
  • #7
Naty1 said:
Mammo...welcome...

Lot's more complicated paradox's exist than you mention!

when I first heard about man made global warming I started studying to see what was known (very little) and what was unknown ( a lot). There are many, many more "cycles" than you mention, many more factors than have been properly modeled. Their significance is not universally understood.

The fact is that no one knows how to predict next weeks weather let alone the beginnings of the next ice age. Nor the movements of the ice sheets, For example, As I understand things, todays placement of the continents as a result of eons of drift has a potentially significant effect on warming/cooling since different locations get varying amounts of solar heat...and land and water absorb/reflect heat very differently.

Also I found it interesting that some history of the Earth shows life emerging, then being almost extinguished via vast ice sheets which encircled the Earth to a depth of perhaps miles...yet something caused those to retreat and modern lifeforms emerged...with merely the artic and antarctic ice sheets remaining...

Earth's tilt on it's axis is another factor that comes to mind...and sunspot activity...

Naty1, thank you. Someone who is on our wavelength. Paleoclimatology is a fascinating subject which I have been studying over the last 4 months or so. There is so much confusion and so much which is simply unknown. It reminded me of the current situation with modern physics. Hence I made a connection between the two. Andre and I are battling out the data and theories in the Earth Science section. Background reading is essential to get to grips with this subject, I recommend 'The Two Mile Time Machine' by Richard Alley and the original text 'Ice Ages: Solving The Mystery' by Imbrie and Imbrie. I've come from a physics background and have been formulating the concept of gravitational entropy for years. It simply means that the tidal bulge becomes exaggerated with reducing distance and fits like a glove to solve both the 100-kyr eccentricity cycle and the millennial cycle.

A quick link is given here Earth science thread which then has links to specific reports.
 
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  • #8
Any physics present in this thread has been covered.

Locked.
 

1. What is gravitational entropy?

Gravitational entropy is the measure of the disorder or randomness in the gravitational field of a system. It is a concept that is used to understand the behavior of gravitational systems, such as planets and stars.

2. How does gravitational entropy relate to Earth science?

Gravitational entropy plays a crucial role in understanding the formation and evolution of planets, including our own Earth. It helps explain the distribution of mass and energy in the Earth's gravitational field and how it affects the planet's structure and processes.

3. What methods are used to study gravitational entropy in Earth science?

Scientists use various methods, including mathematical models and simulations, to study gravitational entropy in Earth science. They also analyze data from satellite missions and ground-based observations to understand the behavior of the Earth's gravitational field.

4. Why is it important to uncover the mystery of gravitational entropy in Earth science?

Understanding gravitational entropy in Earth science is essential for predicting and mitigating natural hazards such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and landslides. It also helps us gain a deeper understanding of the Earth's past, present, and future.

5. What are the current challenges in uncovering the mystery of gravitational entropy?

One of the main challenges is the complex and dynamic nature of the Earth's gravitational field, which makes it difficult to accurately model and predict its behavior. Additionally, limited data and technology can also hinder our understanding of gravitational entropy in Earth science.

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